Safety razor



NOV- 13, 1934- G. Hor-'MANN 1,980,202l

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Sept. 16, 1932 Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to razors of the typein which separate blades areused, and more particularly to that class of such razors in which thehandle, the guard, and the cooperative blade holding clamp are allpermanently connected together.

Its objects is to provide a razor of this type oi' simplifiedconstruction, capable of being manufactured and assembled in quantitiesat low cost,

and having provisions fcr adapting it to use blades of a wide variety ofdesigns. In the embodiment here illustrated it is similar in principleto the razor disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,879,900, grantedSeptember 27, 1932; with respect lto which it comprises structuralimprovements of the character above referred to.

In the drawing,-

Fig. 1 is a sectional view cn an enlarged scale of the preferred form ofrazor embodying all the improvements of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view on a still larger scale of the screw andnut assemblage by which the clutch jaws for securing the blade clamp areoperated;

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are respectively sectional views, and an elevation,of the parts of .this assemblage;

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of two of the clutch jaws;

Fig. 9 is an end View of the guard plate with a blade adapter thereon,showing the bladeclamp swung aside in open position;

Fig. 10 is a detail section of the guard plate and adapter taken on line10-10 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a perspecive view of the adapter shown in Fig. 9; f

Fig. 12 is a plan view of one of the designs of detachable blades whichmay be positioned by the aid of the adapter shown in Figs. 9 and 11;

Figs. 13 and 14 are similar views of other forms of blade;

Fig. 15 is an adapter for the blades shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

Like reference characters designate the same parts wherever they appearin all the figures.

I will now describe in complete detail the specic razor, and the partsthereof, depicted in the foregoing drawings, but with the understandingthat, Whereas all novel details are claimed as features of theinvention, nevertheless the novel features and characteristics of moregeneric scope are not restricted to these details.

The handle is a composite sleeve or tube consisting of a relativelyshort tube section 10, a tube section 11 extending and tting at one endwithin the section 10, in which it is immovably secured, and an outersleeve 12 surrounding the tube 11 and abutting against the end of tube10. This construction provides an internal shoulder 13 within the tubesection 10, which has a mevshank to secure them together.

chanical function latery described, and is constituted by theextremitycf tube 11. The Vsaine construction enables the 'outer sleeve12 to be made of some material' which has ornamental qualities, but neednot have any substantial merchanical strength or durability. Tubesections 10 and 11 provide the necessary mechanical strength of thehandle and the' mechanical reaction f0.1` operating the clutch jawslater described.

The end of the handle constituted by the tube section 10 is fittedandtightly secured in a hole in a guard plate 14, and is made with arabbeted shoulder 15 which limits its penetration into such hole fromthe back or upper side of the guard plate'. Within the tube section 10near its inner end (the end next to the guard plate) is an internalshoulder 16 having an outer cam or wedge face.

The guard plate 14 is or may be of similar character to those providedwith the familiar safety razors in common use; and, besides its functionof protecting the face from being cut by the blade, cooperates with aclamp plate A17 in positioning and securing the blade for shaving. Theclamp plate is permanently connected to the guard by a hinge consistingof pivot screws 18 seated in overlapping vlugs which project from theguard and clamp respectively.

The clamp plate is of suitable design to cooperate with the guard platein securing the blade, and carries a headed stud 19 which, when theclamp is in blade securing position, as shown in Fig. 1, projects intothe tubular handle beyond the shoulder 16 thereof.

The head 20 of stud 19 provides an abrupt shoulder adapted to beunderlapped by clutch jaws 21 which are formed on the extremities ofstrips or bars 22 and 23. Said bars in turn are coupled with a nut 24which meshes with, and is propelled endwise, by a screw 25, to which aknob 26 at the outer end of the handle is secured.

Screw 25 has a relatively long non threaded shank 27 fitted rotatably ina sleeve or bushing 28 and protruding at one end therefrom intol asocket 29 in thevl knob. A pin 30 passes through registering holes 31and 32 in the knob and screw A shoulder 33 surrounds shank 27 at adistance from the nearer end of the knob (when the latter is thus pinnedto the screw) approximately equal to the length of the sleeve28; suchshoulder and the knob providing end thrust bearings for the screw.

The outside diameter of bearing sleeve 28 is so related to the insidediameter of the handle tube 11 that it can be passed into the tube fromthe open outer end of the latter, but onlyrwith the exertion ofrforceagainst substantial frictional resistance. In other Words, the bearingsleeve 'has a` forced, or friction tight, t in fthe handle whereby it isheld immovable after having once been forced into place. It is insertedto the extent that a shoulder 34 on the knob comes to bear on the end ofthe handle tube and, by overlapping the outer sleeve 12 thereof, holdsthe latter in place.

The three, more or less, clutch bars are loosely interlocked with thenut 24 by laterally projecting lugs 35, on one or both sides of eachbar, and

segments 37, or parts of an interrupted an'ge, on the nut which embracethe bars and. are em- ,v

braced in turn by the lugs 35. One of the clutch bars, as 22, (or morethanone if desired, but one is enough), has an extension 38 whichslidingly occupies a longitudinal groove 39 in the outside of thebearing sleeve 28,. whereby the clutch bars andnut are preventedfromrotating when the screw is turned. In other words, the extension 38 i'sa key o rf spline which resolves rotation of the knob into endwisemovement of the nut. Such movement is transmitted to the. clutch bars bythe sectors 37 and lugs 35. The parts last described are adapted to beput together in a unit assemblage, and as such inserted into the handleat the open end thereof remote from the guard.

The jaws 21 are located at the extremities of the bars by which they arerespectively carried, and are substantially square to the axis of stud19 whereby tointerlock with the head of the stud, While at their otherside they are inclined or' beveled so as` to cooperate with the cam faceof abutment 16. Adjacent to these jaws, the bars are provided withinclinedcam or wedge surfaces 40 to cooperate with the abutment shoulder13. The space between abutments 13 and 16 is wide enough to receive theclutch jaws and the cam faces 40 between them; and the inner circum-'ference of the abutment 16 is nearer to the axis pf the handle than theouter extremities of the `wedge faces of the jaws. Thus when the jawsare advanced toward the clamp plate they are interceptedand spread apartby the shoulder 16, thereby releasing theV stud of the clamp plate; andwhen they are withdrawn, the cam faces 40 react on the abutments 13 andcrowd them toward the axis of the handle so that they underlap the headof the stud, provided the stud has first been vinserted into the handleby closing of the clamp plate 17 against the guard. 'I'he stud isoi suchlengthV that its head passes within the projected position of the jawsbefore the clamp is brought tightly against a blade, and is arrestedshort of thewithdrawal limit of the jaws when the clamp comes to bearagainst the guard plate. Ihere :f lis enough looseness in the connectionvbetween ing the bars; although the bars may be suflicient- 1ly flexibleto spring between these positions in vthe absence of such looseness. K

An important advantage of the jaw operating means thus described is thatsuch means are positive for both opening or spreading the jaws and withcomplemental locating or positioning pro jections on either the guard orthe clamp, or both.-

Three of such diierent blades are shown in Figs. 12, 13 and 141 It is apart of my invention to provide interchangeable adapters by which allthese, `and a great many more diverse designs of blade, may be used inthe same razor. I have made such adapters as thin plates 4l, 41a (Fig.15) fitted to slide in a shallow longitudinal groove, having' parallelundercut sides 42 in the outer face ofthe.v guard. The adapted 4l shownin Figs. 9 and l1 has protuberances 43 complemental to the endconfigurations 44 of the slot in blade 45; whilev the adapter 41a hasdifferent protuberances 46 suitable to engage the boundaries of slotenlargements 47 in the blade 48,: and@ corresponding enlargements 49in'blade 50, at. asuicient number of points ,toacentralizei and posi,- tioneither blade. lent projections suitedtothe slot or hole configuzrationsof still other blades. I deem it unnecessary to show hereinvallf theadapters which I have designed to accommodate substantially all ofthedouble edged'razor blades-.now on themarliet, as the principle issufficiently illustrated by the two specific adapters here shovm.Different adapters have projections complementalto holes or slots ofdifferent blade designs at a" suflicient number of points .'topositionsuch blades; all are `fitted to the same undercut groove ofk theguardplate; and all have a hole. 51 for passage of the stud 19 on the clampplate. In order to hold adapters with a lirrn resilient friction, theyare preferably split inward from one end and spread to a width slightlygreater than the width between the edges 42 of the receiving groove,whereby they are caused to exert; an outward spring pressure againstsuch edges. The adapters are of course made with appropriate length tobring their blade-locating abutments 43',` 46, etc. in therightlocations; and theadapter-receiving groove in the guard plate has acorresponding/length, preferably with alimit stop:v or stops 52 at oneend. The clamp plate 17 has recesses 53` of di mensions` and depthgreaty enough to accommodatek the blade positioningv abutmentsof all theinterchangeable adapters. The design of the operating partshe'reindescribed is such that they may bey made by methods of k(plantityproduction at` minimumY cost. the clutch bars 22 and 23 may be stampedfrom ksheet metal, thejaws proper or latch elements 21 being originallycut as tabs protruding from the opposite sides of the bar, andafterwards bent up into planes parallel toione another. Thisr bendingoperation may be performed in a press, conveniently in the same presswhich offsets the bar to form the cam surface 40, and in the sameoperation. The tube section. 10 of the handle with its internal camshoulder 16 and. its-external stop shoulder 15 may be formed in anautomatic screw machine from solidibar stock or thiol: walled tubing. Soalso may the operating screw, the operating nut, the bearing for theshaft of the screw, and the operating knob, all be made by automaticscrew machines. In making the nut by this means it is lirst turneddown-externally from a rod of approximately `the diameter of. thesectors 37, leaving a continuousflange, which is then notched by a punchto provide the spaces between sectors in which the clutch b ars'- arereceived. However, although `these details are preferred yand. usefulfeatures of the invention, they arenot limiting factors, for theoperating elements may Ybe made. in. other' ways. For example;, thecamThus Other adapters have equiva- 'shown at l16 need not be a continuousconical shoulder made by counterboring the interior of the tube, but maycomprise a series of discontinuous cam elements, one for each of the jawmembers, made in other ways.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a safety razor comprising a handle, a guard secured to the handle,a clamp hinged to the guard, a stud connected to the clamp so arrangedas to protrude into or toward the adjacent end of the handle when theclamp is in blade gripping position, clutch jaws within the handleconstructed for releasable interlocking engagement with the stud, andmeans for moving said jaws endwise; abutments spaced apart from oneanother longitudinally in the handle and cooperative cam elements on thejaws arranged to react with said abutments so as to engage the jaws withthe stud when they are moved endwise in one direction and torelease themfrom the stud when so moved in the opposite direction.

2. In a safety razor comprising a handle, a guard secured to the handle,a clamp hinged to the guard, a stud connected to the clamp so arrangedas to protrude into or toward the adjacent end. of the handle when theclamp is in blade gripping position, laterally separable clutch jawslongitudinally movable in the handle arranged to receive the studbetween them, and means for moving the jaws endwise; cooperativeabutments on the handle and cam elements on the jaws organized to spreadthe jaws apart clear of the stud when moved toward the clamp, and otherabutments and cam elements on handle and jaws respectively organized toclose the jaws into engagement with the stud when moved away from theclamp.

3. In a safety razor having a hollow handle, a blade guard, and acooperating blade clamp equipped with a stud insertable into suchhandle, a screw rotatably mounted in the handle, a nut threaded uponsaid screw, clutch jaws cooperative with said stud having bars or Shanksdetachably coupled to the nut to permit inward and outward displacementof the jaws with respect to the axis of the handle, cam faces on thejaws and complemental abutments in the handle for positively crowdingthe jaws inward when transported by the nut in one direction, and othercomplemental cam faces and abutments for positively moving the jawsoutward when transported in the opposite direction.

4. In a safety razor as set forth in claim 3, the construction in whichthe last named cam faces and abutments are longitudinally spaced apartfrom the first named. cams and abutments and are located nearer to theclamp.

5. The combination consisting of a tube having an internal bearing, ascrew shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing and. prevented fromendwise movement with respect thereto, a nut threaded on said screwhaving outstanding flange sections with intermediate spaces, clutch barscontained in the spaces between said sections and having outstandinglugs embracing the sections and having inwardly extending clutch jaws,and cooperating cam means on the clutch jaws and within the tuberespectively for moving the jaws radially inward and outward withdisplacement of the jaws longitudinally in respectively oppositedirections.

6. A safety razor comprising a tubular handle, a guard secured to oneend of said handle, a bearing. sleeve tted friction tight in the handlenear the opposite end. thereof, a shaft rotatable in said bearing havingan external knob beyond the end of the handle and including end thrustshoulders and a screw projecting from the bearing sleeve toward theguard end of the handle, a nut threaded on said screw, bars engaged withthe nut at different sides thereof with means to prevent relativetangential and axial movement, one of said bars having longitudinallyslidable, rotation preventing engagement with the bearing sleeve, clutchjaws on the bars at points remote from the nut, and means in the handlefor effecting a positive radial movement of said jaws, both outward andinward, with longitudinal movement of the bars in respectively oppositedirections.

7. In a safetyrazor as set forth in claim 6, the means for so moving theclutch jaws radially which comprises wedge abutments arranged to engagethe jaws with outward wedging effect when the nut is moved away from thebearing sleeve, and complemental edging abutments spaced longitudinallyaway from the first named abutments arranged to crowd the jaws inwardlywhenl propelled toward the bearing sleeve.

8. An assemblage of clutch jaws and operating means for use with a razorof the character described comprising longitudinal bars having clutchjaws adjacent tovone end and laterally projecting lugs adjacent to theopposite end, a

nut having projecting sectors with spaces between them adapted to beinterlocked with said bars by receiving the latter in the spaces betweensaid sectors with the lugs embracing the respectively adjacent sectors,a shaft having a screw portion tting said nut, a bearing sleeve in whichsaid shaft is rotatably confined with means to prevent relative endwisemovement, said bearing sleeve being tightly fitted to the interior ofthe razor handle.

9. The assemblage as set forth in claim 8 and comprising further anextension from one of said bars and a longitudinal slot or groove in theeX- terior of said bearing sleeve in which such eX- tension is received,whereby rotation of the nut and bars relative to the sleeve isprevented.

10. A safety razor comprising a handle, a guard and. a clamp, said guardand clamp being cooperable to grip and release a detachable blade andone of them having a guideway with undercut opposite sides, and. a slidefitted to said guideway having edges complemental to said opposite sidesfor interlocking engagement therewith, said slide having centering meansfor a blade and. being split for a portion of its length between saidedges, and spread apart at the split, whereby to exert resilientfrictional holding pressure against the sides of the guideway.

1l. In a safety razor, a guard and means for holding a detachable bladeagainst one face of the guard, a portion of said face being made as aseparable slide and the body of the guard having a guideway withundercut opposite sides complemental to such slide and the oppositeedges thereof; the slide having centering means for a blade and beingsplit at one end longitudinally between said opposite edges and beingspread apart at the split whereby to exert frictional retaining pressureagainst the sides of the guideway.

GEORGE I-IOFMANN.

